Improvement in fire-escapes for safes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLETCHER HAGKETT AND JOHN C. GBOUNSE, OF HALES COBNERS, WIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ESCAPES FOR SAFES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160,1 S4, datedFebruary 23, 1875; application filed December 12, 18?4.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that we, FLETCHERy HACKETT andJOHN C. CROUNsE, of Hales Corners, Milwaukee county, Wisconsin, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safe- Escapes 5 and wedo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art towhich it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a front elevation, the corner of the vault being broken awayto show the safe in the vault. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, showing thesafe hoisted up into the office or apartment for use. Fig. 3 is adetail, showing in perspective the safe in the vault, with the cover inposition closing the vault.

The object of the present invention is to prevent the injury ordestruction of a safe in case of iire in the house or apartment wherethe safe is used, or of conflagration; and to this end it consists inthe special means provided for readily conducting away or dropping thesafe from the apartment where it is ordinarily had for business usesinto a fire and water proof vault beneath, all as will now be more fullyand specifically set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, A denotes a safe of any usual or ordinarystyle, size, or construction, and having on each of its two sidesparallel flangesc c, which form ways or guides whereby the safe may bemoved up and down on the vertical standards B B, which extend from theapartment where the safe is designed to be used down into the vault C inthe cellar or lower part of the building, where-` in, as will bepresently explained, provision is made to securely protect said safefrom all harm or injury by fire or water. This vault may be constructedof masonry or metal in any convenient or desirable manner, so long as itis built water and iire proof. The safe may be raised or lowered betweensaid standards B by means of a chain or rope secured at one end in theeye a in the top ofthe safe, and thence passing over a pulley, b, in thecross-piece B', which connects the two standards B at their tops,extends to any convenient point in the building, and, if desired,attached to suitable hoisting mechanism. For ordinary use the safe ishoisted by said means up into the apartment or office where it isneeded. This may be in the first story above the vault, as now generallyindicated in the drawings. But it is evident that by similar mechanicalarrangements and con struction the safe can be placed on any floor inthe building. When raised into position a rope, D, secured to the lowerend of one of the arms E, which arms are attached to the standards B, orthe standard itself, is passed under the safe and fastened to the end ofthe arm E on the opposite side, or to the opposite standard, by whichmeans the safe can be secured and maintained in any desired position fordaily or ordinary use. If a chain has been used in hoisting, it shouldnow be disconnected. The arms E may be hinged or attached to saidstandards in any desirable manner. When thus suspended the top of thevault can be covered by paper, either laid loosely over it or pastedover it, or cotton cloth, or any like material, can be used for thispurpose. If, now, re should occur, it would be only necessary to cnt thesustaining-rope D, when the safe, descending the boss or projection A onthe upper part of its rear edge, striking upon the projection F of thehinged cover F, causes said cover to turn down upon the top of thevault. This cover is constructed ofmetal, and in such manner as to adaptit to fit closely round said standards, and upon the vault-top. It ismade in three pieces, the main portion of which is, at the back of thevault, of the full width of the same and attached to the rear edge ofthe vault by a hinge. At each side of the said main portion longitudinalpieces, corresponding in width to the size of a horizontal section ot'said standard, are cut olf, as shown at f. By this means the front partof said cover F will readily pass between said standards in opening orshutting the vault. Upon the forward part of said standard are twosupplemental covers, F F, which are hinged to and upon the same. Whensaid cover is being turned down upon the vault these covers are thrownup, their edges impinging against the standards, and thus the downwardmotion ofthe said cover is unimpeded; but when the cover comes upon thatits operation and office shall be substan-V tially as above set forth.

To prevent too wide swing to these supplemental covers there is provideda stop, g, upon the top of F, against which the leaves F F strike whenlifted up, and against which they rest when the cover is thrown open.

1n some instances it may be found of advantage to use no other means forsustaining the safe when hoisted than the rope by which it has beenraised; but ordinarily We prefer to use the sustaining-rope abovedescribed for this purpose.

From the above description the operation and use of said invention willbe readily understood. When a fire rages in the apartment containing thesafe the rope which holds the safe in position may be cut, as aboveremarked; or, in default of that, it is presently burned off, and thesafe falls through the temporary covering of the opening to the vault,and on its entrance into vault causes its cover to turn down upon andover it. This is very soon banked up with ashes and the dbris of thefire, and is thus securely protected from all harm from heat or Water.

Having thus described our invention, what we consider new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- A 1. A safe-escape vault provided with thehinged cover F, having supplemental hinged side pieces F, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of safe A, having boss A, with hinged cover F, havingprojection Ff, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of vault C, having a hinged cover. F F F, andstandards B,with the safe A A', provided with lateral flanges a a, thewhole constructed substantially as described, and adapted to operate inmanner set forth.

FLETCHER HAGKETT. JNO. C. CROUNSE. Witnesses:

WILLIAM HALE, JAMES SMITH.

